Timepiece



G. LIENGME TIMEPIECE Filed Julie 13, 1955 INVENTOR GEORGES LIENGME ORNEYPatented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Application June 13,1935, Serial No. 26,375 In Switzerland June 21, 1934 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for correcting instantaneouslythe angular position. of one at least of the indicating members in aclock movement or timepiece, and particularly, but not exclusively, ofthe minute-hand in a pocket watch, wristlet watch or in travellingclocks.

The device according to the invention enables an instantaneouscorrection to be made for example in the event of the minute-hand beingslightly wrong, without recourse to the usual mechanism for setting thewatch right. The angular position of the indicating member may becorrected at any moment, but this correction is preferably effected at afixed hour in accordance with a comparative horary apparatus marking theexact hour, or in accordance with an acoustic or optical time signalgiven at determined hours, for example by broadcast from an observatory,by a siren, a semaphore or otherwise.

Furthermore the invention permits of an automatic correspondingcorrection of a time indicator related to the corrected one, e. g. thehour-hand and the minute-hand of a time piece.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, reference will now be made to the accompanyingdrawing, in which an embodiment of the in vention is illustrated by wayof example, and in which:

Figure l is a part sectional view taken through the winding spindle of awatch movement with dial,

Figures 2 and 3 are part plan views of this movement, the dial beingbroken away in order to show some of the parts disposed beneath thedial.

In the drawing may be seen the frame 5 of the movement, the dial 6, theminute-hand l, the hour-hand 8, the winding spindle 9, the pinion l andthe centre gear I I, and also the dial-work or train comprising atoothed wheel I2 having twelve cogs, the barrel wheel l3 integrallyincorporating an outer sleeve l3a, the hour gear l4 and its pinion I5.None of these parts needs further explanation, because they occur in anykeyless watch movement of modern construction. The inner toothed wheell2 has a tubular boss or central axial sleeve extension l2a and isfitted to engage frictionally with the shaft or arbor iii of the pinionIll and is thus entrained by frictional engagement by the said shaft l5. The said tubular boss [2a carries the minute-hand I.

On the plate of the frame there is fixed at I8 a hammer arm i? which iselastic or flexible at ll. This hammer arm is provided with a hammer orhead [9 which, when the hammer is at rest, supports itself against theinner extremity of the winding spindle 9. The latter is mounted with asupplementary axial play which enables it to be pushed beyond itswinding-up position in such a manner that the hammer arm ll may beactuated by means of the winding spindle to cause a wedge-like nose [9of the head 53 of the hammer to act upon the cogs of the wheel E2. Thenose is possesses two faces symmetrical with respect to the axis passingthrough the winding spindle and the centre of rotation of the wheel [2.The wheel i2 possesses twelve cogs, and the arrangement is such that twoadjacent cogs will be located opposite to the nose l9, symmetrically oneach side of the said axis, each time the minute-hand passes over astroke marking five minutes on the minutes graduation of the dial 6(Fig. 3). As a consequence of this arrangement the owner of the watch isable instantly to correct the position of the minute hand I and torectify an error thereof of about two and a half minutes too much or tooless (fast or slow) at the maximum, by pressing upon the winding knob(which is capable of an axial movement additional to its normalcapability for movement) whilst observing the minute hand of anapparatus marking the exact time or an optical horary system, or at themoment he observes an horary acoustic signal given for example by abroadcasting station. Actually, if the minute hand is, for instance, twominutes fast as shown in Figure 2-, it immediately effects a backwardmovement through an angle corresponding to two divisions of the minutesgraduation of the dial (Figure 3), the wheel I2 being shifted back by alike angle by the hammer ll, the nose [9 of which engages in the cogs ofsaid wheel the moment the winding spindle actuates the hammer. Theposition of the hour-hand is simultaneously rectified in a ratio of12:1, since the Wheel 12 is in geared connection with the barrel wheell3 by means of the gear 14 and the pinion l5 of the hour mechanism. Assoon as the owner ceases to press upon the knob or on the windingspindle, the latter is returned to its original position under theaction of the hammer ll, which as explained above is resilientlyflexible.

The operations are the same when the hand I is late, with the differencethat the minutehand is given a corrective catch-up movement, that is tosay, a movement in its positive direction of rotation.

The essential point is to determine for each form of embodiment of theinvention the speed ratios of the gears and the relative position of thehammer and the mover controlled by this hammer.

The term hammer is to be interpreted in its widest sense, for the hammermay be formed by any member controlled directly or indirectly and actingradially, by means of a nose or tooth, on the cogs of the mover whoseangular position is to be corrected.

What I claim is:-

1. In a timepiece having a winding spindle, means for correcting theangular position of a time-indicator, such means comprising a movablearm one end of which is connected to a stationary part of saidtimepiece, and the other and free end of which is movable from theexterior of the timepiece, said arm having a nose at its free end, and apart associated with said indicator and adapted to co-operate with saidnose to produce an angular adjustment of the indicator on the said nosebeing moved relative to the timepiece, and said arm being operable fromthe winding spindle of the timepiece, which spindle is axially slidable.

2. A timepiece comprising a central arbor, a toothed wheel in frictionalengagement with said arbor, an indicating hand directly driven by saidtoothed wheel, a further indicating hand, gearing through which saidfurther indicating hand is driven from said toothed wheel, a hammeranchored at one end to the frame of said timepiece and having at itsfree end a nose, a spindle depressible from the exterior of thetimepiece, said spindle, in being moved to its depressed position beingadapted to force the nose of said hammer into engagement between twoadjacent teeth of said toothed wheel and adapted thereby to shift saidwheel so that the said two adjacent teeth assume positions in which theyare symmetrical with respect to the line of motion of said hammer nose.

3. A timepiece comprising a central arbor, an inner toothed wheel havinga central axial sleeve extension, said inner toothed wheel and extensionbeing in frictional engagement with said arbor, a minute indicating handmounted directly upon said sleeve extension and adapted to be driventherewith, an outer sleeve, a toothed barrel wheel and an hourindicating hand, said toothed barrel wheel being integral with saidouter sleeve and said hour indicating hand being mounted directly uponsaid outer sleeve and adapted to be driven therewith, a gear trainadapted to transmit the movement of rotation of said inner toothed wheelat a reduced rate to said toothed barrel wheel, a hammer anchored at oneend to the frame of said timepiece and having at its free end a nose, aspindle depressible from the exterior of the timepiece, said spindlebeing adapted in its depressed position to force the nose of said hammerinto engagement between two adjacent teeth of said inner toothed wheeland adapted thereby to rotate said wheel so that the said two adjacentteeth assume positions in which they are symmetrical with respect to theline of motion of said nose.

4. A keyless timepiece including a frame, two time indicating members, atoothed wheel rigid- 1y associated with one of said indicating members,a driven arbor with which said toothed wheel is frictionally engaged,reduction gearing by which the said toothed wheel and the indicatingmember rigidly associated therewith is geared to the other indicatingmember, a manually operable winding spindle which is capable of axialmovement additional to its normal movements, a hammer, a spring hammerarm at one end of which said hammer is carried and the other end ofwhich is fixed to said frame, said hammer normally being engaged by theinner end of said winding spindle and having a nose of wedge form whichis adapted to co-operate with said toothed wheel, for the purposespecified.

5. A keyless timepiece including a frame, two time indicating membersgeared together, a toothed wheel frictionally associated with thedriving means for one of the time indicating members and fixed to thelatter, a manually operable winding spindle capable of endwise movement,a hammer resiliently retained in engagement with the inner part of saidwinding spindle and having a nose adapted to engage between any twoadjacent teeth of said toothed wheel (when the hammer is depressed bysaid winding spindle) thereby to shift angularly said toothed wheel andthe time indicating member associated therewith.

GEORGES LIENGME.

